RAF Club -- car parking?
 

I gather the Club has an arrangement with the Indigo Mayfair car park such that there's a 25% discount on parking. For a 24h stay this means about £37. Is this the best option for local parking, or does anyone have any other suggestions for parking reasonably close to the Club?

And as a supplementary, has anyone had any problems with the Indigo? I've heard several horror stories about public car parks in London.

The last time I looked this was a reasonable deal. Sadly the days when local knowledge allowed one to tuck a car away in side streets overnight appear to have gone. No personal knowledge of the relative level of security, again looks reasonable for a central London location. Hope you enjoy your stay wherever you park!

try "just park". https://www.justpark.com/ put in your dates and times. they use unreserved spaces in hotels, offices etc. we used the car park at the Hilton for a day out, cost us £14.

Try NCP Carrington street - Nice stroll through Shepherds market to the Club £27.50 for 24 hours... don't take the Bentley, quite tight parking spaces

To be honest, these days the risk and hassle of driving in Central London, let alone trying to find somewhere suitable to park, just isn't worth it. Last time I did that about 13 years ago, I parked under Hyde Park overnight and it cost well over £30 even for a Saturday night. The trudge to the Club was a bit of a pain too.

When I was still in the RAF, I used to drive to RAF Northolt, leave the car at the OM car park, then walk to Ruislip Gardens Underground station and take the Central Line to Oxford Circus, then the Victoria Line to Green Park. Which takes about 1:20 if you're lucky.

If you can't park at RAF Northolt, oddly enough another alternative is to use the London Airport Long Term car park (some good weekend deals), free shuttle bus to Terminal 2, then the Piccadilly Line to Green Park. It's easier than Hyde Park Corner as you don't have the hassle of working out which beggar-inhabited subway to use or to fight your way past hordes of Orientals with their infernal phones on sticks outside the Hard Rock. But if you've got a lot of luggage, it's uphill from Green Park to the Club and you'll certainly notice it.

Nowadays I'm very fortunate to have Oxford Parkway not far from here. There's usually plenty of parking space (£8 for up to 2 days), trains every 30 min to Marylebone, then the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus and Victoria Line to Green Park.

Oh for the days when I used to whizz up to Town in my MG Midget and park in a car park which had a discount deal with the RAF Club!

Many thanks for all the helpful replies -- much food for thought.

Ah. Yes. That's exactly what I did for many years. Unfortunately that option is no longer available since my promotion to Mr -- pity "retaining one's rank" doesn't confer such useful privileges!

It's beginning to look as though resort to Virgin Trains will be the least worst solution. If only Mr Branson had kept the direct service from Shrewsbury...

I always use the Indigo car park. Easy access and OK exit. Always space and better secure. The Club used to use the Hilton but that was before the Mayfair. Might look at that for day trips.

I agree about not using a car but with 92 year old in tow a car is the least hassle option. My rule for driving in London is drive at traffic speed, give no quarter, avoid eye contact, restrict your visual scan to front sector 😈

A couple of years ago I stayed for 48 hours. I think it was the Vinci car park then? I phoned before hand and they did me a deal better than the club discount. Might be worth a call?

It must be forty years since I last drove in London. Could do with a dual check and revalidation of the Hyde Park Corner Rating...

Madam has arthritis and can't walk very far so I'm in something of the same boat.

Another solution which I have used - similar to BEags' in a way.

I've used the Cockfosters Underground Station Car Park a lot. Not recently so I can't advise on current charges (yes I can - just Googled it) So it's £5.70 a day Mon-Fri, £2.60 Saturdays and Bank Holidays, and £1.70 for Sundays. That's cash price - cashless is a few pence cheaper.

It's the end of the Piccadilly Line, so goes straight to Green Park - about a 35-40 min journey, and change out of a fiver if you're paying full price....

That's the solution from the frozen North, I'm sure there are similar plots from other directions.

Not for the faint hearted. Into Marble Arch, work your way across several lanes to right side to avoid Oxford Street, keep right down Park Lane, I think it was a 40 zone but watch for cameras, keep tight right at the bottom to avoid going round Wellington Monument, head North keeping right, enter car park slip, stop, take a break, let pulse rate subside, ease gently into peace, calm and tranquillity. On departure, repeat but hang left.

Be aware that the £11.50 congestion charge operates from 0700 till 1800 on weekdays, but Park Lane in both directions is exempt, as is Edgware Road and Vauxhall Bridge Road-Grosvenor Place heading north. Local meters are pay-by-phone and stop at 1830; rates are £4.90 per hour and £7.35 for pre-2015 diesels.

One route from the North just clips the zone in Oxford Street, you can turn just before the zone.

Is the Hilton car park entrance in the zone?

I often use the Indigo car park when staying at the Club and the discount makes it just about tolerable when considering car park charges in London. If coming into London from the East (or M11) the Westfield Shopping Centre is about £6 per day to park and then you can jump on the Central Line or Jubilee Line (to Green Park)

Car to the Club? Just don't! Way better to take public transport either all the way or from an accessible suburban station!

FDL, for one fit person, maybe 2, I would agreed. Throw in an aged P, or even aged S/D, a car is a necessi ty

Perhaps Sir might consider a hackney carriage?

One of those (usually) black cars with 'Taxi' signs?

And it used to be soooo much easier.

One remembers one time - early 70s - when based at a secret Hampshire Helicopter Base. Drinking with some chums in the Club, with my gentleman's sports saloon parked in Old Park Lane.

Come closing time of 2300, one chum mentioned that the Mess bar was open until midnight (at least) on a Saturday, was there a chance we could make it.......

Red rag to a bull! Not sure of the distance - difficult to work out now as this was pre-M3 - but we made it with a few minutes to spare! Getting out of London the fates were propitious, I think every traffic light was green!

And you tell that to young folk today.........

Good old Google maps - allows me to me to avoid Motorways on directions. So that was 50 miles via A3 or 45 via A30. I think the latter as I'm sure I recall barrelling along the Hog's Back; that's the A31 now but perhaps was the A30 (or even the A3) then. So maybe Mike Hawthorn's ghost smiled on us too.........

Get the train to London then hop on a bus. It's even better if, like me, you are a kna-----d old s--t and have a free bus pass!

teeters, The Hog's Back was the A31 when Mike was killed on the A3 Guildford Bypass just east of the A31 junction - see http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/history-f...3Hawthorn.html . The A30 was further to the North, running (from the London direction) through Virginia Water, Bagshot, Camberley, past Blackbushe to Basingstoke and its infernal roundabouts! Pre-M3 I remember it well from trips back to Somerset from London.

RAF Club to Odiham in less than an hour was pretty tidy motoring by any standard!

(Incidentally, for those who like looking at old OS maps, I recommend https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/ . Click on one of the 'OS One Inch' options, then 'create overlay', move the slider and you can see how things have changed over the years.)

Yes, and I only found out a few months ago that the Greenline Bus number 757 is free [with the bus pass] from Luton Airport[ and vice versa] between 0930 and 2300 and drops you off/picks you up at Hyde Park Corner.

I use the National Theatre car park.It is only £8 if you arrive after 1700hrs and Waterloo underground is a 7 minute walk. I don't attend the RAF Club as I was a filthy OR and Gunner to boot :)

BEagle are you suggesting one should hail a Taximeter Cabriolet?

You don't know my mother in law. 92 and would not dream of carrying a stick, seeking assistance etc. We did manage to get her to use a taxi from the Palace back to the Club.

If you are sufficiently decrepit and in receipt of a veteran's disability card you can get a free Oyster Card thanks to the mayor of London after Ken Livingston.

BEags

Many thanks Sir.

I always thought Hawthorn M had bought it on the Hog's Back. Memory eh......?

I guess the trip must have been A3 to A31 then? Hog's Back was well travelled in those days - something to do with the WRAC Depot at Guildford one supposes........:E

But the credit for the journey should really go to the aforementioned "gentleman's sports saloon", one of Filton's Finest.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...5602dce0ac.jpg

And there goes any remaining shred of my incognito...........

One cannot help noticing two indications that you appear to have a leaning towards big Bristols.....

Jack

TTH, I knew one such owner in 1965 - same year letter. M mmm

PN

Not guilty m'lud!

In 1965 the Teeters transport had only two wheels.....

.......... but still of a superior kind one likes to think.......

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...e769d08644.jpg

More Velocette than Brough one suspects, but undoubtedly superior - like the price of the modern replica!
Jack

TTH, wonder if it was the same car? It was like this:

One Jules Brett was a copilot on 12, one of a fair number that would rather have been flying something else. He applied for the job with British Antarctic Survey. Enjoyed it so much that he immediately applied for the following season but his perfect had bagged that. As a gap filled he managed a year's loan service with SOAF. The Bristol followed.

It was definitely 1965 but I don't remember if it was a new C the or older.